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Los Angeles Avengers game notes

February 24, 2004 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Los Angeles Avengers News Release


QUICK FACTS:
Game: Georgia at Los Angeles Avengers
Date: Monday, March 1, 2004
Kickoff: Noon (Pacific)
Site: Los Angeles, California
Arena: STAPLES Center (17,942)
Television: Fox Sports Net 2 (Bill Macdonald, Ed Cunningham)
Radio: XTRA Sports 690/1150 (Larry Kahn, Troy West)
Web Radio: http://www.xtrasportsradio.com
Line: TBA
Series Record: Tied at 1-1
Last Meeting: Georgia 46, Los Angeles 35 – March 2, 2003, STAPLES Center
Officials: Bill McCabe (R), Doug Wilson (U), Mike McCabe (HL), Ken Payne (LJ), Jimmy Buchanan (BJ)
Head Coaches: Los Angeles -- Ed Hodgkiss (third season, 21-12). Georgia -- Marty Lowe (third season; 15-14).


THE AVENGERS: Hoping to rebound from a tough week and their first loss of the 2004 season, the Avengers are determined to re-establish themselves as one of the premier teams in the AFL and a strong ArenaBowl contender. L.A. opened the year with two road victories, but lost its home opener last Sunday to San Jose, 61-55. Last year, the Avengers rode their quick-strike offense to an 11-5 regular season record, earning the first-round bye that goes along with the No. 4 postseason seed. This season, the L.A. defense keyed both victories, but looked much different last week, starting two rookies at the defensive specialist spots and allowing San Jose to score touchdowns on its first nine possessions of the game. One of the most dangerous offensive teams in the league, the Avengers averaged 57.8 points last season and could be even more potent in 2004. Quarterback Tony Graziani, who threw 96 touchdowns last year, leads the AFL with 20 scoring tosses this season and has yet to be intercepted. Offensive specialist Chris Jackson, who earned last season's AFL "Offensive Player of the Year" award, has been on the receiving end of seven touchdowns and the passing end once. Another featured pass catcher, WR/DB Kevin Ingram, has been a star in all three phases of the game, earning U.S. Army "Ironman of the Game" honors in both Avenger victories this season. OL/DL Al Lucas, WR/LB Greg Hopkins and FB/LB Josh Jeffries have led the L.A. defense.
THE FORCE: Dropping their sixth consecutive home game against the expansion New Orleans VooDoo last week, the Force are back on the road where they have won four of their last five. Georgia quarterback Leon Murray is the starter this year after assuming the duties late in the 2003 season and eventually leading the Force into the second round of the AFL Playoffs. One of his main targets is offensive specialist Markeith Cooper, an all-purpose threat. Offseason acquisitions WR/LB Dialleo Burks and WR/DB Dameon Porter, a former "Ironman of the Year," have added depth to the receiver corps.

LOS ANGELES AVENGERS (2-1)
Date Opponent Result Score
Feb. 8 @ Arizona Win 51-32
Feb. 14 @ Las Vegas Win 62-55
Feb. 22 San Jose Loss 61-55
Rest of Season
Opponent Time (PST)
Television
Mar. 1 Georgia 7:30 Fox Sports Net 2
Mar. 14 @ Grand Rapids 9 a.m. NBC
Mar. 21 @ Dallas 1 p.m. Fox Sports Net 2
Mar. 26 @ San Jose 7:30 Fox Sports Net 2
April 3 Austin 7:30 Fox Sports Net 2
April 10 Colorado 7:30 Fox Sports Net 2
April 16 Detroit 7:30
April 25 @ Chicago Noon NBC
May 1 Arizona 7:30 Fox Sports Net 2
May 9 @ Tampa Bay Noon NBC
May 16 @ New York Noon NBC
May 22 Las Vegas 7:30 Fox Sports Net 2
May 30 Orlando 1 p.m. NBC

GEORGIA FORCE (1-2)
Date Opponent Result Score
Feb. 8 New York Loss 54-28
Feb. 13 @ Tampa Bay Win 70-62
Feb. 22 New Orleans Loss 55-52
Next 9 games
Opponent Time (PST)
Television
Mar. 1 @ Los Angeles 7:30 Fox Sports Net 2
Mar. 7 Las Vegas 9 a.m. NBC
Mar. 12 @ Orlando 4:30
Mar. 20 @ Indiana 4 p.m.
Mar. 27 Tampa Bay 4 p.m.
April 1 @ Detroit 4:30
April 11 @ Austin Noon NBC
April 18 Orlando Noon NBC
April 25 San Jose 9 a.m. NBC
THE HEAD COACHES: One of the brightest offensive masterminds in the AFL, Ed Hodgkiss is in his third season as the head coach of the Avengers. In his first two seasons at the helm, he directed Los Angeles to a 19-11 record. No head coach in AFL history has won more games in his first two seasons than Hodgkiss, who was the runner-up for the 2003 AFL "Coach of the Year" award. Last season, the Avengers won a franchise-best 11 games and earned a first-round bye in the AFL Playoffs. Hodgkiss oversaw the league's most efficient offense, which scored 122 touchdowns (most in the AFL) on only 619 total plays (least in the AFL). Particularly lethal through the air, the 2003 Avengers averaged a league-leading 13.8 yards per reception. Hodgkiss became the head coach of the Avengers on Oct. 5, 2001, and signed a five-year contract extension shortly after a 2002 season that saw him adroitly pilot the team to an 8-6 mark. In 2002, Hodgkiss not only led the Avengers into the postseason for the first time in franchise history, he also instantly established the L.A. offense as one of the most feared in the AFL. In the final 2002 league statistics, the Avengers ranked at No. 2 in passing efficiency (115.0) and No. 5 in scoring (52.2). Prior to his arrival in Los Angeles, Hodgkiss served as the offensive coordinator for the Indiana Firebirds for three seasons (1999-2001) ... The second youngest head coach in the AFL, Marty Lowe guiding the Georgia Force to eight victories last season in his first full year at the helm. Despite being hampered by injuries all season in 2003, the Force jumped out to a 6-2 mark to start the year and was able to ride the strength of its league-leading defense to advance to the quarterfinals of the playoffs. Lowe, a former AFL quarterback, replaced former Avenger interim head coach Robert Lyles, who was relieved of his duties following the Force's 1-4 start in 2002. His only other AFL coaching experience came as offensive coordinator for the Nashville Kats in 2000 when he led them to ArenaBowl XIV. Lowe spent two years as a quarterback in the AFL with the St. Louis Stampede (1996) and the Texas Terror (1997). Prior to joining the Force, he served as the running backs coach for the University of Texas-El Paso. Lowe played four seasons at the University of Louisville (1991-95) and is only one of four passers in school history to throw for more than 2,000 yards in back-to-back seasons. He joined the Cardinal coaching staff in 1997.

THE SERIES: The series is tied 1-1. The Avengers won the first meeting as they beat the Force, 73-54, at Phillips Arena on May 24, 2002. The Force won the last meeting 46-35 at STAPLES Center on March 2, 2003.

THE NEXT GAME: After taking next week off (each of the 19 AFL teams have one bye week this season), the Avengers will hit the road to face the Grand Rapids Rampage at Van Andel Arena. It will be the first of three consecutive road games for the Avengers, who won't play at STAPLES Center again until April 3.


STEADY IMPROVEMENT: The Avengers had their most successful regular season in franchise history last year, winning 11 games. After combining for eight wins in the franchise's first two seasons, Los Angeles had its first winning season in 2002, under the direction of head coach Ed Hodgkiss.

Avenger History
Season (head coach)
Record
2000 (Stan Brock) 3-11
2001 (Stan Brock/Robert Lyles) 5-9
2002 (Ed Hodgkiss) 8-6 (playoffs 0-1)
2003 (Ed Hodgkiss) 11-5 (playoffs 0-1)
2004 (Ed Hodgkiss) 2-1


THE "IF" SECTION:
If the Avengers defeat the Force, it would ...
 Be L.A.'s fifth win in its last seven games (but first against a non-Western Division foe)
 Match last year's 3-1 start
 Be L.A's first non-divisional win since April, 4, 2003
 Make Georgia the sixth team the Avengers have the series edge on
 Give L.A. a 5-1 record in the month of March


THIS WEEK'S QUOTES:

Avenger head coach Ed Hodgkiss on the loss to San Jose: "I was disappointed in the way we played, particularly on special teams, which was the difference in the game in my eyes. Offensively, we had to kick a couple of field goals and got stopped one time, which led to a 10-point swing. I'm disappointed we didn't get the win although we did face some adversity in losing Chris Jackson for some of the game. Joe Douglass stepped up and proved he could get the job done if called upon. That was encouraging."

Hodgkiss on the status of the Avenger defense: "We're working to get better. With Damon Wheeler out until after our bye week, we're going to have to get better with the group of guys we have. There are no easy answers except that everyone is going to have to pick up their game a little bit, and we're going to have to grow as the season goes."

Hodgkiss on the Georgia Force: "They are a very physical team that likes to run the ball and screen the ball on offense. We are going to have to match their physical play. They have three really good defensive backs and an excellent pass rush. They also have a lot of quick athletic guys on offense including their quarterback, Leon Murray, which will make it a tough challenge."

Hodgkiss on what needs to improve: "The first thing that needs to get better is our kickoff coverage. In addition to that, we need to learn how to cause some turnovers on defense. We have to find a way to get some stops."





AMONG THE ELITE: Ed Hodgkiss' first two seasons as a head coach in the AFL places his name among some of the game's all-time greats. The Avenger head coach nearly won more games in his first two seasons than any head coach in AFL history. His record currently stands at 19-11. John Gregory won 19 games in his first two seasons with the Iowa Barnstormers (1995-96). Both Darren Arbet of the San Jose SaberCats (1999-2000) and Lary Kuharich of the Tampa Bay Storm (1992-93) won 18 games in their first two seasons in the league.

TOP CATS: Avenger head coach Ed Hodgkiss is currently in fifth-place on the AFL's all-time winning percentage chart, which follows below (regular season only, minimum 25 games, active coaches *):

All-Time AFL Top Winning Percentages
Head Coaches Record Winning %
1. Darren Arbet * 55-19 .743
2. Tim Marcum * 134-49 .732
3. Perry Moss 75-28-1 .726
4. Danny White * 111-52 .681
5. Ed Hodgkiss * 21-12 .636
6. Pat Sperduto 25-15 .643
7. Jay Gruden 35-21 .625
8. John Hufnagel 17-11 .607
9. Mike Dailey * 60-43 .582
10. John Gregory 66-48 .579

DEFENDING THE HOME FRONT: In the "Ed Hodgkiss Era," which began at the beginning of the 2002 season, the Avengers have been particularly stingy on defense at home, allowing just 46.5 points per game at STAPLES Center (744 points in 16 games).

"IRONMAN" INGRAM: In his last 13 games for the Avengers, WR/DB Kevin Ingram has been selected as the "U.S. Army Ironman of the Game" six times. L.A. won each of those games, which includes both victories this season. In the victory at Las Vegas on Valentine's Day, Ingram doubled up, also earning "ADT Defensive Player of the Game" honors.

QUICK STRIKE OFFENSE: Ninety of L.A.'s 146 offensive touchdowns over the course of the past two seasons were scored on "drives" of three plays or less. In fact, 27 of them were one-play "drives," including 10 touchdown catches by offensive specialist Chris Jackson. Ironically, two of the 56 "long" drives were quite notable as well. One was the six-play, 13-yard game-winning march in the victory over San Jose that consumed 25 of the final 26 seconds (Feb. 9, 2003). The other was the eight-play, 30-yard touchdown drive that killed off the final 34 seconds at New York (March 9, 2003). The Avengers scored on six "zero-play drives" last season, including the longest play in franchise history, which came on a 57-yard kickoff return by Siaha Burley (currently a member of the Arizona Ratters) in the regular-season finale at San Jose.

IN THE ZONE OUT EAST: When their travels take them cross-country this season, the Avengers could feel good about their chances, having won six of their last seven games in the Eastern Time Zone, including victories over Orlando, New York and Indiana last year. L.A.'s victory at Orlando on March 30, 2003, marked a third consecutive road game within the Eastern Time Zone.

PLAYERS TO WATCH THIS WEEK:

Avenger OS Chris Jackson: Despite experiencing a scare on the opening kickoff against San Jose, spraining his left knee, Jackson played through the pain and came back strong, catching seven balls for 138 yards and three touchdowns. In last year's loss to the Force, he finished with seven receptions for 96 yards and two scores. This time around, Jackson will face a Georgia team that has allowed a league high 57 points per game, which means he should get some good chances to create more big plays.

Force QB Leon Murray: Playing in just his 12th game as a starter, Murray is a road warrior posting a 4-1 record away from home. The last time he played against the Avengers was in relief of Donnie Davis. Murray eventually earned the starting job later in the 2003 season and led the Force to the playoffs. This season, he has made Georgia one of the league's highest scoring offenses, averaging 50 points per game. After three games, Murray is 59-of-101 for 717 yards, accounting for 14 touchdowns (four of them on rushes). With the Avengers recent defensive struggles, he will have a good opportunity to post big numbers.

Avenger WR/LB Joe Douglass: An experienced AFL veteran as both an offensive specialist and WR/LB, Douglass was virtually unseen in his debut as an Avenger against Arizona. Since then, he has become a vital contributor, catching nine passes for 131 yards and three touchdowns. Douglass' first catch as an Avenger was a game-winning 27-yard touchdown grab at Las Vegas Gladiators. But that game wasn't won until he broke up a touchdown pass on the Gladiators' second-to-last play of the game and Kevin Ingram did the same on the final snap. Last week, Douglass was named the "Baby Ruth Offensive Player of the Game" after catching a pair of touchdown passes, subbing for an injured Chris Jackson.

Force OS Markeith Cooper: In his third year as an AFL double threat, Cooper is looking to maintain his huge contributions to the Georgia offense and special teams. In his last game at STAPLES Center, he burned the Avengers for 10 receptions for 111 yards and one touchdown. Two weeks ago against the defending ArenaBowl champion Tampa Bay Storm, Cooper racked up 270 total yards and scored six touchdowns earning him AFL "Baby Ruth Offensive Player of the Week" accolades. With the Avengers allowing two kickoff returns for touchdowns in their last game, Cooper figures to be a serious concern off the nets.




LAST WEEK'S GAME

S.J. BEATS L.A., 61-55

LOS ANGELES (Feb. 22) -- Scoring touchdowns on their first nine possessions, the San Jose SaberCats defeated the Avengers, 61-55, in a showdown that matched two of the AFL's premier teams on Sunday before a crowd of 14,132 at STAPLES Center.
San Jose quarterback Mark Grieb was nearly flawless, completing 18-of-21 for 207 yards and six touchdowns, but it was SaberCat wide receiver/defensive back Rashied Davis who keyed the victory with a pair of 57-yard kickoff returns for touchdowns.
Davis, who finished the game with 187 all-purpose yards, 3.5 tackles and a pass deflection, was named the "U.S. Army Ironman of the Game."
The Avengers were led by quarterback Tony Graziani, who finished 20-of-40 for 289 yards and seven touchdowns. Three of this scoring tosses when to offensive specialist Chris Jackson, who caught seven passes for 138 yards despite missing roughly half of the game while being sidelined with a sprained left knee.
Avenger wide receiver/linebacker Joe Douglass filled in admirably for Jackson, catching eight passes for 104 yards and two touchdowns.
Jackson's final touchdown came on a 27-yard pass from Graziani that trimmed San Jose's lead down to 54-48 with 4:27 remaining. On the ensuing kickoff, the Avengers went for an onside attempt and had a chance to recover the loose football, but SaberCat defensive specialist Omarr Smith covered it up.
The two teams traded touchdowns in the final 2:13, and then the Avengers tried another unsuccessful onside kick with 22 seconds left.


SAN JOSE (2-0) 13 14 20 14 -- 61
LOS ANGELES (2-1) 14 13 7 21 -- 55



MAKING HIS POINTS: Avenger placekicker Remy Hamilton currently ranks at No. 4 on the AFL's all-time scoring by kickers chart. In his first year with the Avengers in 2002, he set nine team records, while scoring 131 points on 16 field goals and 83 extra points. Hamilton booted the longest field goal in Avenger history on July 6, 2002, blasting a 52-yarder versus Arizona.

All-Time AFL Leaders –
Scoring By Kickers
Mike Black (1993-2003) 1,221
Steve Videtich (Columbus) 1,019
Daron Alcorn (Las Vegas) 770
Remy Hamilton (Los Angeles) 768
Kenny Stucker (1994-99) 742
Steve McLaughlin (Georgia) 695




CHRIS' COLUMN

THE TOUCHDOWN MAKER: Offensive specialist Chris Jackson has scored a touchdown in every game he has played in for the Avengers except for one. His stunning numbers now stand at 126 touchdowns accounted for in 52 games. Jackson's streak of scoring at least one touchdown in every game of his AFL career ended at 47 games on May 10, 2003, against the Colorado Crush. No player in league history has scored touchdowns in more consecutive games to begin a career than he has. All but six of Jackson's scores have come as a pass receiver. His other touchdowns were as a runner, kickoff returner and passer (four times). Jackson has caught a touchdown pass in all but two of his games with the Avengers, but in one of those contests (June 8, 2002, vs. San Jose), he ran back the opening kickoff 51 yards for a score. Jackson is L.A.'s all-time leading receiver and scorer. He has racked up 375 receptions for 5,261 yards and has scored 732 points in his five-year Avenger career.

THE ORIGINAL AVENGER: Offensive specialist Chris Jackson is the only player on L.A.'s 2004 roster who played for the Avengers in their inaugural 2000 season (he was a WR/LB at the time). Linemen Chris Butterfield and Carlos Fowler are next in line as the only two players who have been with the Avengers for the past four full seasons.

THE CENTURY MARK: Although he was held scoreless for the first time in his career against Colorado on May 10, 2003, offensive specialist Chris Jackson has scored 122 touchdowns in his 52-game AFL career. Only 16 other players in AFL history, including teammate Greg Hopkins (172), are members of the "Century Club." ("C.J." has also passed for four touchdowns (three in 2003, one this season, but they don't count in his official scoring totals.)

Top Scorers in Avenger History
Player TDs Points
Chris Jackson (2000-present) 122 732
Greg Hopkins (2002-present) 64 389
Remy Hamilton (2002-present) 0 315
Travis Hannah (2000-01) 27 162

THE MILLENNIUM'S FINEST: WR/LB Greg Hopkins and offensive specialist Chris Jackson are not only L.A.'s top pass catchers, they're also the most productive in the AFL since the dawning of the new millennium. Jackson ranks first with 375 receptions for 5,261 and Hopkins is second with a grand total of 407 for 5,064 yards since the 2000 season. The following chart lists the AFL's top receivers over the course of the last five seasons:

AFL's Top Pass Receivers – (2000-04)
Catches – Receiving Yards
2000-03 2004 Total
Greg Hopkins
(Los Angeles) 402 – 4,998 13 – 169 415 – 5,167
Chris Jackson
(Los Angeles) 355 – 4,992 20 – 269 375 – 5,261
Damian Harrell
(Colorado) 348 – 4,851 16 – 227 364 – 5,078
Mike Horacek
(Indiana) 363 – 4,735 21 – 268 384 – 5,003

ONE OF THE LEAGUE'S HOTTEST TEAMS: Winners in 10 of their last 14 regular-season games, the Avengers are now 17-8 in their past 25 outings. Only the San Jose SaberCats, who are 20-5, own a better mark over that span of games.

ARENABOWL CHAMPION AVENGERS: Three Avenger players and a pair of coaches own a total of six ArenaBowl world championship rings. OL/DL Al Lucas is a defending world champion, having earned an ArenaBowl title last season as a rookie with the Tampa Bay Storm. Fellow lineman Mike Ulufale was a key member of the San Jose SaberCats team that won ArenaBowl XVI in a rout in 2002. WR/LB Greg Hopkins was with the Albany Firebirds when they took the title in 1999; along with Avenger head coach Ed Hodgkiss, who was the Firebird offensive coordinator at the time. Avenger defensive coordinator Doug Kay has been part of two ArenaBowl championship teams. He was the defensive coordinator of the Tampa Bay Storm when they won the title in 1993, and then got his second championship ring in 1997 while working with the Arizona Rattlers in the same capacity.

THE INTERCEPTION KING: In addition to being the AFL's 2002 "Ironman of the Year," WR/LB Greg Hopkins is tied with Orlando's Kenny "The Glove" McEntyre as the league's all-time leader in interception returns for touchdowns. Hopkins returned his record-setting ninth pick for a score on April 13, 2003, in L.A.'s 82-76 overtime loss to the Arizona Rattlers. Hopkins jumped to grab a pass from Sherdrick Bonner and returned it nine yards for the score. McEntyre was alone atop the list for just two days after he picked off a pass and returned it 45 yards for a score in Orlando's 66-23 drubbing of the Buffalo Destroyers on April 11, 2003.

All-Time AFL Leaders –
Interception Returns for Touchdowns
Greg Hopkins (Los Angeles Avengers) 9
Kenny McEntyre (Orlando Predators) 9
Darryl Hammond (Georgia Force) 8
Mark Ricks (Grand Rapids Rampage) 7
Hunkie Cooper (Arizona Rattlers) 7

ROAD WARRIOR: In his last eight games away from STAPLES Center, WR/DB Kevin Ingram has caught 30 passes for 376 yards and 10 touchdowns. Despite playing alongside a constellation of AFL stars, his contributions have not gone unnoticed, winning the U.S. Army "Ironman of the Game" award in five road games over the course of the last two seasons, including both games so far this season. In the 2004 season opener, Ingram caught a pair of touchdown passes and also had an interception. In the victory at Las Vegas on Feb. 14, he scored three times, made 5.5 tackles and a game saving pass deflection as time expired. On March 30, 2003, at Orlando, he had 127 all-purpose yards, including a 50-yard kickoff return in the final minute of the game to set up a touchdown, scored three touchdowns (one rushing) and made one tackle. At Chicago (Feb. 23, 2003), Ingram had 101 all-purpose yards, one touchdown catch and an interception. At New York (March 9, 2003), he had 140 all-purpose yards, two touchdowns, 3.5 tackles and a touchdown-saving pass deflection. He followed up those performances by having a standout game at home versus Grand Rapids on March 23, 2003. Not only did he earn "Ironman of the Game" honors, but he was named the AFL's "Ironman of the Week," as he had four catches for 36 yards and two touchdowns, returned two kickoffs for 34 yards, made five tackles, had an interception, broke up a pass and recovered a fumble.

HOT TICKET: Five of the six largest crowds to ever see the Avengers play came last season. In consecutive games (at Colorado and Chicago), the Avengers played before their two largest crowds in team history. The Avengers averaged 13,220 fans at home in 2003.

Top Crowds in Avenger History
Date Opponent Attendance
2/16/03 @ Colorado 17,417 (Pepsi Center)
2/23/03 @ Chicago 16,132 (Allstate Arena)
5/17/03 @ San Jose 15,407 (HP Pavilion)
5/4/02 @ Dallas 15,196 (American Airlines)
2/9/03 San Jose 14,992 (STAPLES Center)
2/2/03 Las Vegas 14,827 (STAPLES Center)

THERE IS SOME "D" IN L.A.: Avenger defensive coordinator Doug Kay has a six specific goals for his unit to strive for this season. If the Avengers are able to achieve them, it would put the L.A. defense in the Top-5 in each category, based on last season's final AFL team statistics. The following is a look at how the Avengers are currently doing in this regard.

Avenger Defensive Goals
Category Goal Current Total
Average points allowed 45.0 49.3
Opponent third-down % 40% 37.5% (6-of-16)
Opponent fourth-down % 40% 50.0% (2-of-4)
Quarterback sacks 25 5 (pace for 26.7)
Interceptions 25 4 (pace for 21.3)
Fumble recoveries 16 2 (pace for 10.7)


LOS ANGELES AVENGERS
2003 REGULAR-SEASON RESULTS (11-5)
Date Opponent Result Score
Feb. 2 Las Vegas Win 60-48
Feb. 9 San Jose Win 73-72
Feb. 16 @ Colorado Win 59-53 OT
Feb. 23 @ Chicago Loss 54-53
Mar. 2 Georgia Loss 46-35
Mar. 9 @ New York Win 65-61
Mar. 16 @ Indiana Win 42-20
Mar. 23 Grand Rapids Win 61-51
Mar. 30 @ Orlando Win 64-63
April 4 Carolina Win 63-48
April 13 Arizona Loss 82-76 OT
April 18 Buffalo Win 65-14
April 27 @ Dallas Loss 60-57
May 4 @ Arizona Win 63-49
May 10 Colorado Win 45-34
May 17 @ San Jose Loss 47-43


NOTES FROM 2003

HEART-STOPPING HEROICS: Four of L.A.'s 11 victories last season came on the final play of the game. On Feb. 9, 2003, the Avengers defeated San Jose, 73-72, on a one-yard touchdown blast by FB/LB Mathias Vavao and a two-point conversion pass from Tony Graziani to WR/LB Greg Hopkins with one second left. The following week in a game on the road against Colorado, L.A. forced overtime with a field goal by Remy Hamilton on the final play of regulation and then won on a TD pass from Graziani to Hopkins. On March 9, 2003, the Avengers defeated New York, 65-61, on a one-yard touchdown run by FB/LB Kevin Clemens with no time remaining. Their most amazing victory of the 2003 season came on March 30, at Orlando, as the Avengers rallied from a 12-point deficit in the final 35 seconds to defeat the Predators, 64-63. The "miracle" occurred as Graziani hit offensive specialist Chris Jackson to cut the lead to five with 19 seconds remaining and defensive specialist Cornelius Coe recovered an onside kick five seconds later. That set up another Graziani-to-Hopkins game-winning TD on a "Hail Mary" pass off the rebound net as time expired. Four of L.A.'s five losses in 2003 also came in the final seconds (at Chicago on Feb. 23, vs. Arizona on April 13, at Dallas on April 27 and at San Jose on May 17).

EARLY FIREWORKS: In addition to late-game heroics (four victories on the final play of the game in 2003), the Avengers have also been good at the start, scoring on their first offensive snap of the game five times during the 2003 season -- in the season opener against Las Vegas (Feb. 2, Chris Jackson), at Chicago (Feb. 23, Kevin Ingram), at Indiana (March 16, Jackson), against Carolina (April 4, Jackson) and against Colorado (Greg Hopkins). On April 4, 2003, against Carolina, the Avengers scored touchdowns on their first three offensive plays, the other two going to Hopkins.

OFFENSIVE EFFICENCY: In their final 11 regular-season games of the 2003 season, the Avengers turned the football over on downs only three times. Two of those stalled drives came in L.A.'s 60-57 loss at Dallas on April 27, 2003. The other one came in the 47-43 loss at San Jose in the 2003 regular-season finale. Los Angeles won eight of the nine games in which it didn't turn the football over on downs, scoring 544 points in those victories. That averages out to 60.4 points per game during that span of offensive effectiveness.

LONG SUNDAY DRIVE: The Avengers put together what might have been the longest drive in the history of the Arena Football League versus the Indiana Firebirds on March 16, 2003, using 17 plays to march 47 yards. The touchdown drive consumed an incredible 10 minutes and 14 seconds. Furthermore, 11 plays occurred after L.A. reached Indiana's one-yard line.

RECORD "D" DAY: On April 18, 2003, the Avengers held the Buffalo Destroyers to just 14 points, establishing a new team record. That eclipsed the record set earlier in the 2003 season, when the Avengers limited the Indiana Firebirds to 20 points.




LAST MEETING WITH THE FORCE:

GEORGIA BEATS L.A.
AT STAPLES, 46-35

LOS ANGELES (March 2, 2003) -- Continuing to struggle in all three phases of the game, the Los Angeles Avengers lost for the second consecutive time, falling to the Georgia Force, 46-35, before 12,728 at STAPLES Center.

After starting the season with some fantastic finishes and a 3-0 record, the Avengers are now 3-2 and will play their next two games on the road. With its first victory over Los Angeles, Georgia improved to 3-2.

Force quarterback Donnie Davis was 26-of-37 for 272 yards and five touchdowns, but Georgia didn't need much offense to defeat the Avengers, who turned the ball over three times and scored just 21 points in the first three quarters.

The Avengers gained a season-low 232 yards and scored on only five of their 10 possessions. Los Angeles missed two field goals, threw two interceptions and turned the ball over on downs once.

Defensive specialist Kevin Gaines came down with both interceptions for the Force on his way to game "MVP" honors. Georgia lineman Jermaine Smith was selected as the "Ironman" after finishing with 2 ½ tackles, a sack and a forced fumble.

Playing with a sprained left ankle (suffered a week earlier in a 54-53 loss at Chicago), Avenger quarterback Tony Graziani had another tough outing as he was under constant pressure and sacked three times.

"We didn't come to play," Graziani said. "I don't have an answer for it. You have to give the Force credit. They came out and played harder than we did."

Graziani was able to complete 19-of-37 for 245 yards and four touchdowns, but his first of two interceptions allowed the Force take a 34-21 advantage with 1:34 remaining in the third quarter. Prior to that point, neither team held a lead of more than seven points.

The Force went on to widen the gap to 43-21 midway through the fourth quarter.

Graziani connected with WR/LB Greg Hopkins for a pair of touchdowns in the final minute to close the margin and help the Avengers avoid tying the franchise record for fewest points in a single game.

Hopkins led Los Angeles with seven receptions for 113 yards. Offensive specialist Chris Jackson also had seven catches for the Avengers, which were good for 96 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Even before the game started, there was some indication that this might not be the Avengers' day. Fullback/linebacker Mathias Vavao, who came into the contest having scored five rushing touchdowns in the first four games of the season, injured his ribs during pregame warm-ups and was only able to make a cameo appearance in the second half. In addition, lineman Tony Plantin was unable to overcome a strained lower back and did not play despite suiting up.

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